EXERCISE-10A VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE

Question 3

Where is the magnetic south pole of the earth located?

Answer

The magnetic south pole of the earth is in Canada at a distance nearly 2240 km from the
geographic north pole at 70.75° north latitude and 96° west longitude.

Question 4

What kind of magnetic field is represented by parallel and equidistant lines ?

Answer

Uniform Magnetic Field.

Question 5

What is the angle between the magnetic axis of the earth and the axis of rotation of the earth ?

Answer

The magnetic axis of the earth makes an angle of 17° with the axis of rotation of the earth.

Exercise 10(A) — Short Answer Type

Question 1

What is a lodestone?

Answer

Lodestone is the first known pieces of magnets, an ore of iron oxide (Fe3O4) found in large
quantities in Magnesia, in Asia Minor.

Question 2

What is a natural magnet? State two limitations of a natural magnet?

Answer

The pieces of lodestone found in nature were called natural magnets.

The limitations of a natural magnet are —

1. They are found in quite irregular and odd shapes.

2. They are not magnetically strong enough for use.

Question 3

What is an artificial magnet? State two reasons why do we need artificial magnets?

Answer

Artificial magnets are prepared from iron in different convenient shapes and sizes.

Examples of artificial magnets are bar magnet, horse shoe magnet, magnetic needle and
magnetic compass.

We need artificial magnets because —

1. Natural magnets are of irregular and odd shapes.

2. Natural magnets are not magnetically strong enough for use.

Question 4

How will you test whether a given rod is made of iron or copper?

[Hint: Iron rod gets magnetized when placed near a bar magnet by magnetic induction, while
copper rod does not get magnetized]

Answer

To test whether a given rod is made of iron or copper, we should bring it near (or in contact
with) a magnet, if the rod is of iron, then it will become a magnet i.e., it will acquire the
property of attracting iron fillings when they are brought near it's ends.

This happens because iron rod gets magnetized when placed near a bar magnet by magnetic
induction, while copper rod does not get magnetized. This way, we can detect which rod is
iron and which is copper.

Question 5

Explain the term induced magnetism.

Answer

The temporary magnetism acquired by a magnetic material when it is placed near (or in
contact with) a magnet, is called induced magnetism.

Question 6(a)

Explain the following:

When two pins are hung by their heads from the same pole of a magnet, their pointed ends
move apart.

Answer

When two pins are hung by their heads from the same pole of a magnet, their pointed ends
move apart because the iron nails by magnetic induction gets magnetized and develop same
poles. As we know that like poles repel each other hence, the two pointed ends of the nails
repel each other.

Question 6(b)

Explain the following:

Several soft iron pins can cling, one below the other, from the pole of a magnet.

Answer

Several soft iron pins can cling, one below the other, from the pole of a magnet because the
bar magnet by induction magnetizes an iron nail which gets attracted to the magnet and clings
to it. This magnetized nail magnetizes the other nail near it by magnetic induction and attracts
it.

This process continues till force of attraction of magnet on first nail is sufficient to balance
the total weight of all the nails in the chain below it.

Now holding the uppermost nail in position by fingers, and if the magnet is removed, we find
that all nails fall down. The reason is that on removing the magnet, the uppermost nail loses
it's magnetism, so all other nails also lose their magnetism, they get separated from each other
and they all fall down due to the force of gravity.

This shows that the magnetism acquired by induction is purely temporary. It lasts so long as
the magnet causing induction remains in it's vicinity.

Question 6(c)

Explain the following:

The north end of a freely suspended magnetic needle gets attracted towards a piece of soft
iron placed a little distance away from the needle.

Answer

When the north end of a freely suspended magnetic needle is placed near a piece of soft iron,
the nearer end of the piece acquires an opposite polarity by magnetic induction.

Since unlike poles attract each other, therefore the iron piece is attracted towards the end of
the magnet. Thus, the piece of iron first becomes a magnet by induction and then it is
attracted.

Question 7
'Induced magnetism is temporary'. Comment on this statement.

Answer

If one pole of a bar magnet is brought near small iron nails, they form a chain as shown in the
figure below.

The magnetised nail is attracted to the magnet and clings to it. This magnetised nail, in turn,
magnetises the neighbouring nail through induction and attracts it. This process continues
until the force of attraction on the first nail balances the weight of all the nails in the chain
below it. If the uppermost nail is held in position by fingers and the magnet is removed, all
the nails fall down. This is because, without the magnet, the uppermost nail loses its
magnetism. The nails no longer attract each other and separate, falling down due to gravity.
This demonstrates that induced magnetism is temporary and lasts only as long as the magnet
causing the induction is nearby.

Question 8

'Induction precedes attraction'. Explain the statement.

Answer

When a piece of iron is brought near one end of a magnet (or one end of a magnet is brought
near the piece of iron), the nearer end of the piece acquires an opposite polarity by magnetic
induction.
Since unlike poles attract each other, therefore the iron piece is attracted towards the end of
the magnet. Thus, the piece of iron first becomes a magnet by induction and then it is
attracted. In other words, induction precedes attraction.

Question 9

What do you understand by the term magnetic field lines?

Answer

A magnetic field line is a continuous curve in magnetic field such that tangent at any point of
the curve gives the direction of the magnetic field at that point.

Question 10

State four properties of magnetic field lines.

Answer

The magnetic field lines have the following properties —

1. They are closed and continuous curves.

2. Outside the magnet, they are directed from the north pole towards the south pole of
the magnet.
3. The tangent at any point on a field line gives the direction of magnetic field at that
point.
4. They are crowded near the poles of the magnet where the magnetic field is strong and
far away near the middle of the magnet and far from the magnet where the magnetic
field is weak.

Question 11

Explain why iron fillings which are sprinkled on a sheet of cardboard placed over a bar
magnet, take up a definite pattern when cardboard is slightly tapped.

Answer

The iron fillings which are sprinkled on a sheet of cardboard placed over a bar magnet, take
up a definite pattern when cardboard is slightly tapped because each piece of iron fillings gets
magnetized by magnetic induction and experiences a force due to the magnet. Therefore, they
arrange themselves along curved lines and these curved lines are called magnetic field lines.

Question 12

Can two magnetic field lines intersect each other? Give reason to your answer.

Answer

Two magnetic field lines never intersect each other.

If they would intersect, this would mean that there are two directions of the field at the
specific point which is not possible.

Question 13

In figure below, draw at least two magnetic field lines between the two magnets.

Answer

(a) As the north pole of both the magnets are facing each other so they will repel. The
magnetic field lines between the two magnets are shown below:

(b) As opposite poles of both the magnets are facing each other so they will attract. The
magnetic field lines between the two magnets are shown below:
Question 14

State two evidences of the existence of earth's magnetic field.

Answer

The evidences of the existence of earth's magnetic field are —

1. A freely suspended magnetic needle always rests in geographic north-south direction.

2. An iron rod buried inside the earth along north-south direction becomes a magnet.

Question 15

Sketch four magnetic field lines as obtained in a limited space on a horizontal plane in the
earth's magnetic field alone.

Answer

Magnetic field lines as obtained in a limited space on a horizontal plane in the earth's
magnetic field alone are shown below:
Question 16

What conclusion is drawn regarding the magnetic field at a point if a compass needle at that
point rests in any direction? Give reason for your answer.

Answer

If a compass needle at a point rests in any direction then we can say that the magnitude of the
magnetic field at that particular point is zero.

The reason for this is that the earth's magnetic field at that point is neutralized by the
magnetic field of some other magnetized material.

Question 17
What is a neutral point? How is the position of a neutral point located with the use of a
compass needle?

Answer

Neutral points are the points at which two magnetic fields are equal in magnitude, but
opposite in direction. The net magnetic field at a neutral point is zero.

A compass needle if placed at the neutral point, will rest in any direction. Hence, we can find
the position of neutral points with the help of compass needle.

Question 18

State the positions of neutral points when a magnet is placed with it's axis in the magnetic
meridian and with it's north pole (i) pointing towards the geographic north, (ii) pointing
towards the geographic south.

Answer

(i) When a magnet is placed with it's axis in the magnetic meridian and with it's north pole
pointing towards the geographic north then the neutral point will be in east-west direction.

(ii) When a magnet is placed with it's axis in the magnetic meridian and with it's north pole
pointing towards the geographic south then the neutral point will be in north-south
direction.

Exercise 10(A) — Long Answer Type

Question 1

(a) Draw the pattern of magnetic field lines near a bar magnet placed with it's north pole
pointing towards the geographic north. Indicate the position of neutral points by marking x.

(b) State whether the magnetic field lines in part (a) represent a uniform magnetic field or
non-uniform magnetic field?

Answer

(a) Below diagram shows the magnetic field lines near a bar magnet placed with it's north
pole pointing towards the geographic north. The position of neutral points is marked with x:
(b) The magnetic field lines as shown in part (a) are non-uniform.

Question 2

Figure given below shows a bar magnet placed on the table top with it's north pole pointing
towards south. The arrow shows the north-south direction. There are no other magnets or
magnetic material nearby.

(a) Insert two magnetic field lines on either side of the magnet using arrow head to show the
direction of each field line.
(b) Indicate by crosses, the likely positions of the neutral points.

(c) What is the magnitude of the magnetic field at each neutral point? Give a reason for your
answer.

Answer

(a) The magnetic field lines for the magnet are as shown below:
(b) The likely position of the neutral points is indicated by crosses in the diagram below:

(c) The magnitude of magnetic field at each neutral point is zero because at these points the
magnetic field of the magnet and the magnitude of the earth's horizontal magnetic field are
equal in magnitude but in opposite directions such that the two fields neutralize each other.

Question 3

You are provided with two similar bars, one is a magnet and the other is a soft iron bar. How
will you distinguish between them without the use of any other magnet or bar?

[Hint: A magnet when suspended freely will rest only in north-south direction, but soft iron
bar will rest in any direction]

Answer

If we suspend the given bars with a silk thread such that it is free to rotate in a horizontal
plane, then we will observe that one bar always sets itself in geographical north south
direction as shown in the picture given below, while the other bar sets itself in any direction.

This happens because a magnet when suspended freely will rest only in north-south direction,
but soft iron bar will rest in any direction. Hence, by suspending the two given bars freely
and observing the position in which they rest we can distinguish between a magnet and a soft
ironbar.

Question 4
A small magnet is suspended by a silk thread from a rigid support such that the magnet can
freely swing. How will it rest? Draw a diagram to show it.

Answer

When a magnet is suspended with a silk thread such that it is free to rotate in a horizontal
plane, it will rest in the geographical north-south direction with north pole towards the
geographic north, making some angle with the horizontal.

Question 5

Explain what do you understand by magnetic induction. What role does it play in attraction of
a piece of iron by a magnet?

Answer

The process in which a piece of magnetic material acquires the magnetic properties
temporarily in presence of another magnet near it is called magnetic induction.

Induction precedes attraction — When a piece of iron is brought near one end of a magnet
(or one end of a magnet is brought near the piece of iron), the nearer end of the piece acquires
an opposite polarity by magnetic induction.

Since unlike poles attract each other, therefore the iron piece is attracted towards the end of
the magnet. Thus, the piece of iron first becomes a magnet by induction and then it is
attracted. In other words, induction precedes attraction.
Question 6

Explain the mechanism of attraction of iron nails by a magnet when brought near them.

Answer

If one pole of a bar magnet is brought near small iron nails, they form a chain of nails as
shown below, because the bar magnet by induction magnetizes an iron nail which gets
attracted to the magnet and clings to it. This magnetized nail magnetizes the other nail near it
by magnetic induction and attracts it.

This process continues till force of attraction of magnet on first nail is sufficient to balance
the total weight of all the nails in the chain below it.

Now holding the uppermost nail in position by fingers, and if the magnet is removed, we find
that all nails fall down. The reason is that on removing the magnet, the uppermost nail loses
it's magnetism, so all other nails also lose their magnetism, they get separated from each other
and they all fall down due to the force of gravity.

This shows that the magnetism acquired by induction is purely temporary. It lasts so long as
the magnet causing induction remains in it's vicinity.

Question 7

A small iron bar is kept near the north pole of a bar magnet. How does the iron bar acquire
magnetism? Draw a diagram to show the polarity on the iron bar. What will happen if the
magnet is removed?
Answer

When a small iron bar is kept near the north pole of a bar magnet as shown below, the bar
becomes a magnet due to magnetic induction i.e., it acquires the property of attracting iron
fillings when they are brought near it's ends.

Polarity developed at the end A of the bar AB is north (opposite to the polarity of the magnet
near end A) and the polarity at end B is south (i.e. similar to the polarity at the end of the
magnet near end A).

If the magnet is now removed, the bar will lose it's magnetism.

Thus, the bar of a magnetic material behaves like a magnet so long it is kept near or in
contact with a magnet.

The magnetism so produced is called induced magnetism.

Question 8

Explain the method of plotting magnetic field lines by using a small compass needle.

Answer

Earth's magnetic field is uniform in a limited space. Experimentally we can plot uniform
magnetic field lines of the earth as follows —

Experiment — Fix a sheet of paper on a drawing board (or a table top) by means of brass
pins. Place a small compass needle at position 1 (as shown in fig.) and looking from top of
the needle, mark two pencil dots exactly in front of the two ends of the needle. Then move
the compass needle to position 2 in such a way that one end of the needle coincides with the
second pencil dot.

Mark the position of the other end of the needle with a dot. Repeat the process of moving the
compass needle to position 3,4,.. to obtain several dots. On joining the different dots, you will
get a straight line. Thus, one magnetic field line of the earth is traced.
Repeat the process starting from a different point and trace out another magnetic field line. In
this manner, draw several magnetic field lines starting from different points. Label each line
with an arrow from the south pole of needle towards the north pole to indicate the direction of
the magnetic field. Fig. above shows several magnetic field lines so obtained.

It is noticed that these lines do not intersect each other. They are parallel and equidistant.
They are directed from geographic south to geographic north (i.e., the direction in which a
magnetic needle, suspended freely in a horizontal plane rests).

Exercise 10(B) — Very Short Answer Type

Question 1

Is an electromagnet used as a permanent magnet ?

Answer

No, electromagnet is not used as a permanent magnet. It is a temporary strong magnet.

Question 2

Name the material used for preparing an electromagnet.

Answer

The material used for preparing an electromagnet is a piece of soft iron.

Question 3

A coil of insulated copper wire is wound around a piece of soft iron and current is passed in
the coil from a battery. What name is given to the device so obtained? Give one use of the
device mentioned by you.

Answer

This device is called an electromagnet.

Electromagnets are used in electrical devices such as electric bell, electric motor, relay,
microphone, etc.

Question 4

Name one device that uses an electromagnet.

Answer

An electric bell uses an electromagnet to function.

Question 5

Why is soft iron used as the core of the electromagnet in an electric bell?

Answer

The soft iron bar acquires the magnetic properties only when an electric current flows
through the solenoid and loses the magnetic properties as soon as the current is switched off.
That's why soft iron is used as the core of the electromagnet in an electric bell.

Exercise 10(B) — Short Answer Type

Question 1

What is an electromagnet?

Answer

An electromagnet is a temporary strong magnet made from a piece of soft iron when
current flows in the coil wound around it. It is an artificial magnet.

Question 2

Figure shows a coil wound around a soft iron bar XY. (a) State the polarity at the end X and
Y as the switch is pressed. (b) Suggest one way of increasing the strength of the
electromagnet so formed.
Answer

(a) The polarity at X — south pole and at Y — north pole.

(b) The strength of the electromagnet so formed can be increased by increasing the current in
the coil.

Question 3

State two ways through which the strength of an electromagnet can be increased.

Answer

The strength of a magnet can be increased by —

1. Increasing the number of turns of windings in the solenoid.

2. Increasing the current through the solenoid.

Question 4

State two advantages of an electromagnet over a permanent magnet.

Answer

Advantages of an electromagnet over a permanent magnet are —

1. An electromagnet can produce a strong magnetic field.

2. The strength of the magnetic field of an electromagnet can easily be changed by
changing the current (or the number of turns) in it's solenoid.
Question 5

How is the working of an electric bell affected, if alternating current is used instead of direct
current?

Answer

If alternating current is used instead of direct current then the core of electromagnet will get
magnetized, but the polarity at it's ends will change. Since attraction of armature does not
depend on the polarity of electromagnet, so the bell will still ring on pressing the switch.

Question 6

Name the material used for making the armature of an electric bell. Give a reason for your
answer.

Answer

Soft iron is used for making the armature of an electric bell because it acquires magnetic
properties only when an electric current flows through the solenoid and loses the magnetic
properties as soon as the current is switched off.

Exercise 10(B) — Long Answer Type

Question 1

How is an electromagnet made? Name two factors on which the strength of the magnetic
field of an electromagnet depends.

Answer

An electromagnet can be made in the following two shapes:

1. I-shape or bar magnet.

2. U-shape or horse-shoe magnet.

The principle behind making both the magnets is the same. An electromagnet can be made by
winding an insulated copper wire over a piece of soft iron in U-shape or a solenoid.

The factors on which the strength of the magnetic field of an electromagnet depends are —

1. The number of turns of wire wound around the coil — By increasing the number
of turns of wire wound around the coil, the magnetic field of an electromagnet can be
increased.
2. The amount of current flowing through the wire — By increasing the current
through the wire, the magnetic field of an electromagnet can be increased.

Question 2
You are required to make an electromagnet from a soft iron bar by using a cell, an insulated
coil of copper wire and a switch. (a) Draw a circuit diagram to represent the process. (b)
Label the poles of the electromagnet.

Answer

The labelled circuit diagram for making an electromagnet from a soft iron bar is shown
below:

Question 3

State two differences between an electromagnet and a permanent magnet.

Answer

The differences are as follows —

Electromagnet Permanent magnet

It is made of soft iron. It is made of steel.

It produces magnetic field so long as current

flows in it's coil, i.e., it produces temporary It produces a permanent magnetic field.
magnetic field.

Question 4

Show with the aid of a diagram how a wire is wound on a U-shaped piece of soft iron in order
to make it an electromagnet. Complete the circuit diagram and label the poles of the
electromagnet.

Answer
Below labelled circuit diagram shows an electromagnet made by winding a wire on a U-
shaped piece of soft iron: